Willow Pond Park renovation set to begin

Willowbrook trustees hire Oswego firm to oversee $800,000 project

April 19, 2014|By Joseph Ruzich | Special to the Tribune

(Tribune illustration)

A popular park in Willowbrook will undergo a major makeover during the next two years.

At a board meeting on April 14, trustees agreed to pay LandTech Design Ltd. of Oswego $60,000 for design services of Willow Pond Park near Plainfield Road and Adams Street. LandTech Design Ltd. also will oversee the construction process.

Kristin Violante, the superintendent of parks and recreation, said plans call for dredging the pond and planting native prairie grasses and flowers around the pond. The site also will include constructing a larger parking area, fishing overlook areas for anglers, a splash pad play area, a playground area, shelters and seating around the pond, among other things.

The total cost of the project is $800,000. The village, however, recently received a $400,000 Open Space Land Acquisition & Development (OSLAD) grant, which will help offset the cost of the entire project.

"We are really excited about the project," Violante said. "One of the first things we are going to do is dredge the pond. That should start in the next several months."

Violante said that the park likely will be closed during construction.

The dredging, which is phase 1 of the project, will help improve water quality and fish and wildlife habitat at the pond. The second and final phase will include moving forward with the other new projects in the park.

Violante said it's one of the most popular parks in the suburb. "A lot of people go there on their lunch breaks," Violante said. "It's a serene and peaceful park that also provides open space for some activities."

The village announced last year that it would apply for a $750,000 Open Space and Land Acquisition Development state grant to help purchase the Arabian Knights horse farm to develop a new park there. Village Administrator Tim Halik, however, said the board decided not to proceed with the grant or to purchase the horse farm at 6526 Clarendon Hills Road.

The village initially was considering transforming the 10-acre farm into a nature-themed park that would include a wetland boardwalk, a pond, trails and a play area for children.

Halik said to apply for the state grant, the village would have to spend thousands of dollars for a land title search and to acquire proof of title insurance.

"After thinking long and hard about the probability of this one (grant) really happening, we decided to withdraw it," Halik said. "It was extremely unlikely, we were told by our consultants, that we would be approved for two grants during the same cycle."

Halik also added that the asking price of the farm was too high for the village.